Opinion/Feature | 24 June 2015 19:25 CET

Charles Novia Goes Hard on Nigeria's TV Series Writers & Producers

By julia Blaise

There is no doubt that there are numerous TV series on local Television stations in Nigeria, but not all of them give their audience what they really want. Talented producer/director, Charles Novia took to his twitter handle this morning to criticize the producers involved and give guidelines on how to do it better. Continue…

"Too many contemporary Nigerian TV series on air these days portraying fake lifestyles and unrealistic xters. Is it an alternate Naija? 1st defect; scripts. Too many of the writers are much influenced by foreign series but don't know how to write for the local audience .

Those writers and Producers write for a terribly slanted middle class audience who mostly came from the grassroots. Confusing everyone. Then the xters they create; whining, soppy and wet bread xters, made worse by actors trying to live up by speaking with silly accents.

"In most scenes in some series, it's torture just watching accented actors TRY to act! Fake settings, blurred plots meet wannabe ambitions. In creating their masturbatory utopia, the Producers of these series only succeed in giving us a cruel dystopia of impossibilities.

"Even the actors/actresses are too foreign influenced in their delivery. Brad Pitts and Jennifer Lawrences Naija styles on Naija screens! Xters are mostly flat. No psychological motivations. Poor back stories. Linear xterisation. Stereotypes. It's a hollow shame.

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"We must create stories with full identity and believable xters peculiar to our environment and locales. We can't be confusing the kids. You guys know yourselves. There's got to be some improvements in your art. Writers, Actors, Directors, Producers of TV series. Try more.

"Ok. Some examples as the debate rage on. Tinsel, with its dying plots and yawn-inducing xters, can have a 'Shalewa' spin-off and HIT! In Salewa, the grassroots see an aspirational and motivational xter who has consciously redefined herself but sticks to her roots.

"Salewa and her mom are a good example of how the 'spri spri' nd 'local girl' find a great, believable screen nexus.That's your audience. And why is 'Hotel Majestic' a big hit? Setting, down - to - earth xters and simple plotlines. Good articulation from actors. Voila! HIT.

"Your audience is African first n foremost. There are realities to the African story. Pin those realities down and give the fakes a break," he wrote.

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